It could have been an exercise in "let's mock the provincials..." But the writer and the director (Angus McLachlan, Phil Morrison) are both from North Carolina, so each side in this meeting of opposites is both humanised and demonised.

You can call Junebug an unwanted, but much needed homecoming, mostly celebrated by the hearty welcome of George's sister-in-law Ashley Johnsten, played by Amy Adams.

...one of many reasons to love Junebug is how often it offers us spaces to fill in ourselves, the faith it shows in handing us small puzzles -- Eugene's hand-carved bird, for instance -- to chuckle over or think on afterward.

I would recommend the film for Amy Adams's performance alone. The Catch Me If You Can star plays Ashley, an eternally optimistic young pregnant woman, doing her best to make the most out of a bad situation.